interesting read in Morgantown paper
West Virginia
Article about deer kill in West Virginia http://i158.photobucket.com/albums/t113/prestoncohunter/M isc/Article%20-%20Copy_zpsodi2831c.jpg
Sorry can't get to open. It was in the dominion post today.69,086 hunters killed bucks.
84.6 percent of these killed one buck.
13.6 percent killed two.
A whopping 1.8 percent of them got three bucks, for total of a little over 1,240.
Some people may think this is a lot but let’s put it in perspective. This number represents just .05 bucks per square mile or one buck per 11,852 acres.
So... 15.4% of bucks killed during the gun season were extra bucks? That's 10,639 extra bucks... or close to it?
But, IF 84.6% of those hunter only had ONE buck tag would they have shot the buck that they did??
Gary foster says three to five percent of hunters kill three bucks? That equals nine to fifteen thousand bucks.
Commissioner says less than half of a percent kill three bucks? His 1.8 percent was those that got bucks which got three.
Which one is it?
WV Metro news, by Chris Lawrence said WV rifle kill was wrong by 5000 bucks, due to a discrepancy in way doe were checked in during rifle season. good read in outdoors section, WV metro news
WV Metro news, by Chris Lawrence said WV rifle kill was wrong by 5000 bucks, due to a discrepancy in way doe were checked in during rifle season. good read in outdoors section, WV metro news
http://media.wvmetronews.com/media/010216103459-WestVirginiaOutdoorswChrisLawrence-January22016-.mp3
Gary Foster, supervisor of game management in WV,was quoted as saying that only 3-5% of hunters are killing three or more bucks a year on wv metronews outdoors on 1/2/16. The wv dnr fact sheet states we have 300k hunters in the woods during deer season. 3% is 9,000 bucks a year. 4% is 12,000 bucks a year. 5% is 15,000 bucks a year. At five percent that would have been 29% of harvest in 2014. 20% of harvest in 2013. 21% of harvest in 2012. 19% of harvest in 2011. 26% of harvest in 2010. Reducing the harvest by third buck tags would add approximately 176 bucks per county per year at 3% success rate for third buck. 235 bucks per county, per yer at 4% success rate on third buck. 294 bucks per county, per year at 5% success rates on third buck.
Now, Commissioner David Milne states that only 1,240 hunters in the state are killing a third buck which is roughly .33 percent. Which one one is It?
Well let's add a fourth buck. Money for the state.
UDMDEER wrote, "But, IF 84.6% of those hunter only had ONE buck tag would they have shot the buck that they did??"
To my notion, that's the question that begs for an answer. Would one buck tag curb the "I've got to get MY buck" mentality?
Interesting that the OP used numbers that (could) show negligible impact of multiple buck tags, yet the same numbers also shows significant impact to the bucks. :^)
I'm with sundaynwv, "Which one is it?"
Well I say since the data shows that hardly anyone shoots more than two deer lets just sell buck tags. More money for the DNR. Of course I say that with tongue in cheek but at some point one would think it has to stop.
WV needs to manage its resources like a business,,, more than one way to skin a buck ,,, er cat....got to be open to trying new ideas,,,if you always do the same thing, you get ALWAYS get the same results.... time to start getting creative to generate income,,,
The problem with the DNR is that they have gotten so used to the money they make off of doe tags and extra buck tags that they can't go without it. Kind of like the analogy I gave you guys before of the family that couldn't change because they are living pay to pay. I am not really sure what the answer is.
But doe tag limits come and go.
But they still make money off of them
But any year they reduce the doe tags they reduce revenue from them.mso do they lose a job each year they reduce doe tags?
WV dnr bases the number of doe tags by buck harvest, so any time we have large numbers of bucks taken DNR will have more liberal doe limits. Which we be the case next fall in some areas. Winter meetings will be held in Feb and March.To set bag limits.
Yes, but anytime you reduce doe tags you reduce revenue.
Buy eventually that could be offset by selling stamps for the new air gun that will eventually be allowed.
Since the question begging to be asked is how many of the 84.6% of the hunters would have shot the buck they did if they only had one buck tag - I think it is begging then to expand the situation a little bit further - if they pass on that buck - how many of the passed up bucks would walk on to the next property if it were to be on private ground or walk 250 yards further on WMA ground and be blasted away by one of the 75% of hunters that are unsuccessful each year???
I did a little search on public lands available for hunters in each state - now if this report that I googled is correct - (I will try to paste it on here later today) then WV has pretty much twice the area of US forest and State Owned land as what either KY or OH has - even though those two states are pushing to be twice the overall size of WV. Which means to me - how much hunting pressure is applied to a large portion of land in each state? Maybe I am assuming wrong but I would think public land gets more hunting pressure than what private land does. Wouldn't that possibly make some difference on whether or not 1 buck limit or AR's would be a better choice? Sort of like how 1 buck limit did not work in PA for all those years but then AR's were introduced and they have seen a difference.... JMO
Well you are right JayD that is exactly what happens here.
Well you are right JayD that is exactly what happens here. Besides that argument is moot now that the DNR says they will not reduce the limit because it is a money maker. (which is what I have said all along).
easy way to fill the money void with less buck tags......Confiscate the trucks, cars, guns , bows of convicted poachers at auction.......DNR keeps the money.....Its a win , win for everyone and deters poaching even more...
what big otis said,,, lots of money to be made,, these elk could be a huge money maker if done right,,, auction tags,, lottery tags like ky
I agree george. The elk will be a big money maker
I agree with higher penalties for law breakers. I would like to be able to see the illegal buck kill numbers . A lot of people would quit fretting about how many legal bucks were killed if they had any idea .
Any idea on what? I know how many legal bucks were killed....But how many were not killed legal?
Its simple, WV DNRdoesnt want bigger bucksor healthier herd, they want bigger revenues...So with that, lets just open gun season in Oct and run it thru mid Jan with a buck and doe as the limit per day....as long as you have the tags...
And according to everyone, people will limit themselves to 2 bucks with the occasional guy shooting 3...
Problem solved.
I don't think we will ever know the number of illegal deer killed. I think it would shock you.
